Anyone can own a Spider Plant, but can you turn it into a dazzling centerpiece? Here’s How to Make Your Spider Plant Shinier & Brighter!
You heard all about how the spider plant is super hardy and resilient, how it purifies the air and is the best houseplant ever—and got yourself one for your home. But now, it just appears dull and colorless, and you’re filled with regret. Before you lose hope, let’s give your tropical baby a much-deserved day at the spa. Here’s how to make your spider plant shinier & brighter!
How to Make Your Spider Plant Shine
The spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum), also known as the airplane plant, has gorgeous upright folded green foliage with lengthwise yellow and white stripes. Averaging an arching height of about 15 inches indoors, it thrives on humidity, warmth, and partial sunlight.
But even this tough cookie can get a bit lifeless and lose color if it doesn’t get its bare minimum! Let’s see how we can fix it and really allow your spider plant to look its shinest and brightest!
Top Hacks to Make Your Spider Plant Shin+y and Bright+y
We’ll begin with the obvious: clean them! These light and dark leaves attract dust particles like everything else in your home! You need to dust and clean them to get the leaves to shine and glow—just with different ingredients.
1. A Milky Wipe Down
We’re not kidding! Milk is an excellent remedy for dull and lackluster leaves on your spider plant. Milk contains lactic acid—that gently removes dust and other residues from the foliage and opens the pores. It also helps against fungal diseases, pests like aphids.
To clean the leaves, make a 50/50 blend of skim milk and water. Slightly spray all over the foliage and wipe down gently with a soft microfiber cloth. You may come across suggestions to use olive oil, coconut oil, or even vinegar, but all of these will harm the leaves in the long run. Stick to milk; you won’t regret it! And yes, after wiping, re-wipe with a clean soft cloth again to remove any milk residue!
2. Banana Peel Hack
Banana peels naturally glow up your spider plant due to the natural oils present in them! They also contain potassium and other nutrients that help nourish and condition the leaves.
Here’s how you do it: fold one of the peels in half and gently place it against the leaf. While holding the leaf and the peel between your fingers, run it up and down a few times without shaking or bending the leaves. Don’t forget to wipe the leaves clean with a damp cloth afterward so there’s no residue to clog the stomata of plant. Doing this once a month is more than enough!
3. Water Adequately 
This tropical grass-like plant has thick, fleshy roots and rhizomes designed to store water. So, spider plants do need sufficient water, especially when the soil’s surface feels dry, but there’s a catch!
Tap water often contains minerals, fluorides, and chlorine, which can lead to leaf burn, water spots, and brown tips, which taint this plant’s famously flawless beauty! Spider plants enjoy “drinking” water, just like you! And they need slightly moist—not waterlogged—soil and ample humidity to feel at home. Proper watering equals plump and shiny leaves.
4. Loads of Dappled Sunshine
While resilient in many regards, this plant is fussy about sunlight! Exposure to the right kind of sunlight determines your spider plant’s color, shine, and health. Too much shade will cause its leaves to lose color and fade, while direct, harsh light will cause the leaves to burn and scorch. So find a spot with just the right amount of cheerful, filtered sunlight!
Place it a few feet away from a bright window, and if the light is too much, layer it with sheer curtains!
5. Thrives in Humidity
Contrary to popular belief, spider plants love medium to high humidity—at least 50-60 %—much like their native habitat of the coastal parts of South Africa. If they feel some hydration in the air, their foliage looks brighter and shinier.
And a good way to do this is through misting in hot summers. The glistening water droplets will also increase the shine. You can always use a humidifier or one of these methods as well.
However, the approach we like the most is to create a microclimate around your spider plant by surrounding it with other plants that complement it. This keeps your spider plant cozy, humid, and in great company! Consider pairing them with ferns, dracaenas, pothos, and ZZ plants.
6. Prune for Appearance
Did you know the spider plant gets its name from the young plantlets that sprout on its long stems, resembling spiders? These “spiderettes” can be cut for regrowing as soon as it’s time, or they start exhausting the mother plant, which will appear faded and tired.
As such, spider plants don’t need much pruning, but as soon as you find spent foliage or decaying leaf ends, snip them away right then and there! No one likes deadweight, so clean it up with sharp, sterile scissors to prevent resource loss and rot from spreading.
You can also revive spider plants that have become excessively tall and leggy with light pruning.
7. Deter & Repel Pests
Although the spider plant is pretty tolerant to pests and infections, there are some serious culprits you cannot take lightly! Scale insects and mealy bugs are the ones that usually cause severe damage to the foliage by sucking out the sap from leaves and slowly killing the plant.
Also, when the infestation grows, insecticidal soap and homemade treatments like neem oil or rubbing alcohol wipes come in handy. In worst-case scenarios, snip away the affected leaves to save the plant!
8. Fertilize For Shine
Most indoor plants do not require frequent fertilization. However, occasional feeding helps! Nitrogen-rich fertilizers boost foliage growth and can lead to shinier and brighter leaves. But too much can make the leaves longer, softer, and more susceptible to pests and not to mention the risk of fertilizer burn that leads to spider plant brown tips.
Go with a balanced fertilizer with an NPK ratio of 10-10-10 diluted to a quarter of its strength. You can even add Epsom salt to boost magnesium and sulfur for photosynthesis and better transportation of nutrients. This will deepen its color and give it a bushier appearance. Read our guide on how to do this!
A good start is once every 3-4 weeks during spring, every 2-3 weeks during summer, and every 5-6 weeks during fall, but no fertilization should be done in winter unless you live in a warm climate.
Remember to fertilize only during the growing season and halt feeding the plant during the dormant period.
9. Use Leaf Polish and Shiners
Now, this is the last resort for making your spider plant shinier and brighter! If you need an instant shine, a commercial leaf polish will give it a quick makeover.
But really, only do this if your spider plant is out for a photoshoot or something. Avoid it otherwise, as the polish can clog the plant’s pores, causing more harm than good! Or you could go for a much better, homemade recipe if you can give it some time. In this guide, we tell you how to whip up a mayonnaise cleanse for your houseplants, but with a precaution!
Natural methods of keeping your spider plant shiny and bright are better in the long run. Along with its shine, a spider plant’s fullness also matters. Check out this article that will teach you how to make one more lush!
